08/09/2004
NEWS STORY
With Mark Webber and Jenson Button almost certain to line up for WilliamsF1 next season, it's easy to see why the Grove outfit never ran Jacques Villeneuve in a test this year, either private or public.
Wild claims that the former world champion was to drive the FW26 at a variety of locations had his many hundreds of thousands of fans salivating at the prospect, but it was not to be.
Jacques has been linked with a number of teams, and most of the 'stories' are nothing more than wishful thinking or the work of journalists with overactive imaginations.
That said, it's known that the 1997 world champion visited Sauber's factory in Switzerland in the days following the Hungarian GP, prompting speculation that the team famed for giving newcomers their F1 break, might prove to be the conduit for the Canadian's return.
Felipe Massa is already signed for 2005 and as a result there is just one vacancy. F3000 sensation Vitantonio Liuzzi is due to test at Jerez later this month, while BAR tester Anthony Davidson and British DTM star Gary Paffett, have also been linked with the second seat.
Sauber has said that he wants a brash, young charger on board, but in many respects he already has that in the form of Massa. Therefore one has to wonder if the canny Swiss might see some sense in signing the former champion.
Furthermore, as we have seen all too often, driver contracts are rarely worth more than the paper they are written on, so it is not entirely impossible that Massa could be shown the door, after all he has hardly set the world alight this season, and previous thoughts that he might be the man to ultimately replace Michael Schumacher now seem more than a little optimistic.
Neither Villeneuve nor his manager, Craig Pollock, is giving anything away, while Sauber is remaining equally tight-lipped.
Bernie Ecclestone has made it clear that he wants Villeneuve back in F1, while Sauber and his sponsors will be fully aware of the financial benefits of signing the Canadian - providing he is retained on a sensible, performance-based, contract.
Then again, who's to say that there are not going to be some significant changes at Brackley in the coming months?